Annual Report FY 2016 | Seite 6

Excellence and Innovation in Horticulture & Landscape We continue to maintain Mount Auburn’s historically significant landscape at very high standards, committed to preserving and enhancing the plantings—from trees to groundcovers—that reflect 185 years of horticultural diversity and changing ideas about landscape design. Horticulture is key to supporting our mission of inspiring all who visit and commemorating the dead in a landscape of exceptional beauty, and we practice environmental stewardship in all that we do. During the past fiscal year: • Several projects were initiated as part of the recently completed multi-year action plan for enhancing the value of Mount Auburn’s landscape as a habitat for wildlife, including some new plantings in the wildflower meadow at the Tower. • We continued our multi-year efforts to replace high maintenance and/or overgrown plants in selected areas with slower-growing and more compact plant varieties in order to improve both the sustainability and the aesthetic qualities of the landscape. • Our efforts to enhance various historic landscape character zones continued with the planting of more shrubs and groundcovers typical of the Victorian period in curb lots along Fountain Avenue. • With grant funding from the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust, we purchased and installed a laser engraving machine, and our student intern produced and placed over 300 new tree and shrub labels out on the grounds. 4